Nilakshi Parndigamage was recently awarded the Winner of Winners International Public Speaking Trophy at the International Public Speaking contest held in London to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
She was invited to represent the Asian Continent by the English Speaking Union. This year’s contest was a competition between past international winners, representing each of the six continents.
In addition to the Winner of Winners trophy, Nilakshi’s speech, titled “Three Stories”, was also voted best speech by the audience.
Nilakshi represented Sri Lanka and won the largest international public speaking competition in London in 2000 and was felicitated by Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.
A former head prefect of Visakha Vidyalaya, Nilakshi is also a past winner of the Roy Morgan Asia Pacific Speech Contest, Australia, and won the Light of Asia, the Light of the World and Toastmasters Best Speaker Contests in Sri Lanka. Nilakshi works as an attorney at Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart & Sullivan in New York City.
From Sunday Times, 24th June 2012
